65. Gentle Jesus, Meek and Mild?

65. Gentle Jesus, meek and mild?

I rise up and say something critical of a staff colleague in an emotive way in front of others. Then I cool down and reflect on my anger. I am made in the image of God and He acts in wrathful ways. When I act in anger pride is usually at the foundation of my response, even though I feel as though the target of my anger was 100% guilty. The wrath of my Creator is so different, it is holy and righteous. It is a terrible wrath God unleashes, a quick scan of a concordance shows it is referenced as least as many times as “love”. God directs indignation and wrath towards evil, not out of malicious retaliation as might you and I, He does it out of response to sin.

God is pure and it is His nature to destroy impurities, (Hebrews 12:29). Jesus purified the Jerusalem temple because he was angry that religion was happily cheating people and desecrating the temple-all in the name of YHWH. This action of the Teacher should cause us to reflect on our practise as Christian teachers. In our classrooms full of Bibles and posters of a faith kind, we can go about our daily business using habitual practises that hardly qualify as being “Christian”. God has immense anger towards sin, a holy hatred of things done too, in his name that are unrighteous. Who would want God to audit all that they do and fail to do, in their workdays? What is reassuring is that his anger is appeased; we are shielded by the propitiation accorded to us from the cosmic event that occurred on Calvary.

We don’t do our students any favours by a strong focus on “God is Love”, “God is Healer” and “God is Provider” without sharing this disquieting attribute of God. It might mean we are accused of “fire and brimstone” preaching but we can understate that “God’s anger and displeasure erupt” as Paul wrote, as people accumulate sin and hide the truth, (Romans 1; 18 TMB). The last book of the Bible contains accounts of the outpouring of the wrath of God at a cosmic level; it’s a sobering account to hold alongside our Sunday School images of the Good Shepherd. The rod and staff are not passive fashion accessories. The Shepherd wields them, and much more in wrath.

www.beaconmedia.com.au 1 I feared the anger and wrath of the LORD, for he was angry enough with you to destroy you Deuteronomy 9:19

For a fire has been kindled by my wrath, one that burns to the realm of death below. It will devour the earth and its harvests and set afire the foundations of the mountains. Deuteronomy 32:22

So I declared on oath in my anger, 'They shall never enter my rest.' " Hebrews 3:11

Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath Psalms 2:5

God is a righteous judge, a God who expresses his wrath every day. Psalms 7:11 will take vengeance in anger and wrath upon the nations that have not obeyed me Micah 5:15

They called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! Rev 6;16

Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron sceptre." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. Revelations 19:15

He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Mark 3:5

In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, Ephesians 4:26

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Ephesians 4:31 nor man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. James 1:20

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